Maturity
by ConfusedGuy
Summary: A new friend is added to the trio, tragedy strikes, and among it all, thoughts and chaos ensue. (Formerly "The Life And Times of Lizzie McGuire: Part 1")
1. LateNight Troubles and Middle School Cri...

Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire, and, consequently, any of it's characters. Any original characters I might add are mine, however.  
  
A/N: This is my first piece on this website, so tell me what you think, please.   
  
It was raining. She was with him, their hands clasped in an ever-loving hold. Walking down the sidewalk, she didn't care how wet she was, if her clothes were ruined, or if she fell in a puddle. All she cared about was him.   
  
"I love you," she said, with all the sincerity she had.   
  
"I love you, too," he replied, with just the same sincerity.   
  
That's when it happened. The nightmare that any person dreads. Two lights shone from the street. They were straight at first, then angled toward them.   
  
"Look out!" he shouted, lunging at the girl to get her out of harm's way…but not his own.   
  
"No…" she said in disbelief, barely audible. "No…"   
  
She ran toward him. The lights had already vanished. Turning him over, she couldn't see his, the very eyes she had grown to love. He wasn't moving, barely breathing.   
  
"Wake up…wake up…"   
  
"Lizzie…" he said with almost no volume at all. "Lizzie…don't worry…One day…we'll be…together...Take care…of everyone…" And with that, his eyes closed…forever.   
  
"NO!" she cried. "NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" she said, desperately pushing on his chest, doing everything she could for him.   
  
"This…can't be…" she said, shaking. She kissed his cold, lifeless lips, the kind of kiss shared between two people in the deepest of love. Then she passed out, resting on the lifeless body she cared for.   
  
"NO! I NEED YOU!" Lizzie McGuire screamed, sitting up in her bed. Looking at her alarm clock, which said 2:00 A.M., she realized what had happened. "Whoa. What a dream. But…who was that?"   
  
Jo and Sam McGuire came rushing into the room.   
  
"Is everything okay, honey? We heard a scream," Jo said.   
  
"Yeah. Everything's fine."   
  
"Yeah, except your looks," came the prepubescent voice of Matt McGuire.   
  
"Matt, it would be so easy for me to come over there and give you an atomic wedgie!"   
  
"Oh, wow! I'm so threatened!" Matt said sarcastically.  
Lizzie started to get out of bed.   
  
"Bye!" Matt said running back to his room.   
  
"Lizzie, are you going to be okay?" Sam said.   
  
"Yeah. I'll be fine. You guys can go back to bed."   
  
"Okay, but we're here if you need us," Jo said with a motherly tone.   
  
"Thanks," was Lizzie's automatic reply.   
  
Jo and Sam retreated to bed, while Lizzie tossed and turned all night.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day on the bus, Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo all sat talking.   
  
"Lizzie, what happened to you? You look like a zombie," Gordo pointed out, noticing the dark circles under his best friend's eyes.   
  
"Yeah. Your eyes kind of look like Gordo's when he was obsessed with that dwarf game," Miranda chimed in.   
  
"Don't remind me. You wouldn't want me having a relapse, would you?"   
  
"Definitely not. Especially after that intervention we had."   
  
Everyone laughed at the memory.   
  
"I had a horrible nightmare and I didn't get any sleep," Lizzie, said changing the subject.   
  
"What happened in it?" Gordo said, concerned.   
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Lizzie said as they pulled up to the school.   
  
Walking up to school, Lizzie had a vision of her dream from the previous night, and started to become weak in the knees.   
  
"You okay, Liz?" came Miranda's voice.   
  
"Yeah…fine…" Lizzie said, stumbling. "Let's just go inside."   
  
The three friends went in to school for another day in their lives, but Lizzie had a feeling this one would be different.   
  
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By Lunch, Lizzie had recalled her nightmare more times than she cared to remember. She couldn't focus through any of her morning classes. So when Lunch came, she was relieved. Grabbing a soda, she went to sit next to Miranda, opposite Gordo.   
  
"Does anybody else want this day to end really fast?" said the troubled McGuire girl.   
  
"Any day with school I want to end fast," Miranda replied comically, getting a chuckle from Lizzie. Gordo, however, was just staring at his plate of chicken, poking it aimlessly with his fork.   
  
"What's the matter, Gordo? I'm not funny anymore?"   
  
"Huh?" was all Gordo could say, seeing as he hadn't been paying attention.   
  
"What's the deal, Gordo?" asked Lizzie. "Are you sick?"   
  
"No...well...sort of...."   
  
"Want me to take you to the nurse?" questioned the ever-helpful Lizzie.   
  
"No. I'm not physically sick. I'm sort of...emotionally sick...."   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Miranda, concerned as ever.   
  
"Well..." Gordo began, "do you ever feel like you have no purpose, no drive, no reason for even getting up in the morning? I mean, I feel like I'm empty, hollow, you know? I feel like I have no reason to even be here on Earth." At that the girls were shocked and mortified, and wanted to interject, but they let him continue. "I'm trapped. Every day is the same thing. I get up, go to school, go home, do homework, talk to you two, not that that part is bad, or anything, I go to sleep, then I wake up and do it all over again. What's the point?"   
  
When he finished, the girls had horrified looks on their faces. Lizzie spoke first.   
  
"Gordo, how can you even say that?! You have so much to work for, to live for. How can you feel hollow?"   
  
"Yeah. You're a terrific person. So how can you even think that there's no point?" Miranda said, always ready to throw in her two cents.   
  
"Notice how you couldn't describe any of the things I 'have to live for.'"   
  
"How about this? You have us!" Lizzie said, ready to back up her statement.   
  
"True..."   
  
"I'm sure you'll come around, Gordo. Just give it time," Miranda said.   
  
"Yeah. You're probably right," was Gordo's almost robotic response.   
  
That's when Lizzie, out of nowhere, had another relapse of her dream from the night before.   
  
"NO! NO! NO!" She was screaming. Gordo and Miranda were confused.   
  
"Are you okay, Lizzie?" Gordo spoke in a shocked tone.   
  
"HE CAN'T LEAVE ME! HE CAN'T! DAMNIT, WAKE UP!"   
  
"Lizzie, you're freaking me out!" Miranda cried.   
  
"HE CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Lizzie repeated, then passed out on the table.   
  
A/N: Please review, so I can improve my writing. I'll have the next chapter up soon. 


	2. Fantasy vs Reality

Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire...I mean, why would I? Only high-powered Disney people who film episodes and then rearrange the airing order for no reason can own it...I've said too much.   
  
A/N: I hope you all liked the first chapter. I'll try and update more frequently. I'll try to make the chapters longer, too. By the way, I forgot to mention that the trio is in high school. Enjoy!   
  
Chapter 2- Fantasy vs. Reality   
  
Lizzie awoke, finding herself on the floor with a bunch of people standing above her. Gordo and Miranda were completely pale looking down at their best friend.   
  
"Wha...what happened? I remember trying to console Gordo and now...I'm here."   
  
"You started screaming and passed out," Miranda informed her.   
  
"Screaming? What was I screaming?"   
  
"Something about somebody leaving you."   
  
"Leaving me...wait! The dream I had last night! I was screaming that in my dream!"   
  
"But...what does that mean? Who's leaving you?"   
  
"I don't know..." Lizzie said in deep thought.   
  
"Gordo, don't you have any words of wisdom here?" Miranda asked. "Gordo?"   
  
Gordo had been staring at Lizzie the whole time with wide eyes and open jaw.   
  
"GORDO!"   
  
"Wha...Oh, what?"   
  
"I said, 'Don't you have any words of wisdom here?'"   
  
"Of course I do," he said, not having narrowed his eyes or closed his mouth.   
  
"Well?"   
  
"Um...elevate your legs, take deep breaths, look toward the sky..."  
  
"GORDO, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Miranda cut in.   
  
"Wait, let me try that again." He knelt down next to Lizzie and put his right arm around her waist, then grabbed her left hand with his and helped her stand on her feet. Not letting go, he said, "Can you stand?"   
  
"Yeah. Thanks."   
  
"No problem." Gordo released her.   
  
"Well, you seem to be okay. Let's go, we've got to go to English class," Miranda's voice came.  
  
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The trio walked into English class and sat down in the front of the room, by the teacher's desk. The teacher, Mr. Jehle, was writing the words "FANTASY VS. REALITY", rather sloppily, on the board.   
  
"Alright. Everybody sit down, if you value your lives." Lizzie gave him a surprised look. He looked at Gordo and saw his chuckle. "I'm only kidding, Ms. McGuire. I see Mr. Gordon here gets it." Gordo gave a nod in approval, making Mr. Jehle chuckle, as well. "Okay, today we're going to be talking about Fantasy vs. Reality, as you can see from my cave painting on the board." Kids laughed. "Your homework for tonight..." Kids groaned. "Yeah, like you've never gotten homework before," he said with a sarcastic look and tone. "Your homework is to write me an at least one-page paper on what you think is real, and what you think is fantastic. And by 'fantastic' I don't mean like a new pair of pants you bought. I mean things that are out of grasp, too abstract for you to understand, not solid enough to be made a thing. So, you can have one or hundred things for each, just make sure it's a page. And, if I see any spelling mistakes, you all lose an appendage. So, on with the lesson."   
  
"He's cool," Lizzie said to Miranda.   
  
"And kind of cute. He's only 24, you know."   
  
"I'm going to be him in 10 years," Gordo said with a half-smile.   
  
"It wouldn't be bad to be a suave ladies man," came Mr. Jehle's voice. At this, the three realized he had heard them talking.   
  
"At ease, soldiers." The three laughed when he said that, realizing they were out of danger. "Okay, Mr. Craft, what's your idea of reality?"   
  
"Well...I think that Joe Millionaire is great," was Ethan's completely dull-witted, and characteristic, response.   
  
"Um...yeah...anyway, Ms. Sanchez, how about you?"   
  
"Well, reality is something that you can explain. Something factual is something real."   
  
"Hmm, good answer. How about you, Ms. McGuire?"   
  
"Well," Lizzie began, "reality is the tangible things in life. Things that you can actually do or say, and not just think, are real."   
  
"Okay, and Mr. Gordon. What do you think is fantasy?"   
  
"Fantasy, eh?" Gordo took a breath, trying to arrange his thoughts. "Fantasy is difference."   
  
"Difference. What do you mean by that?"   
  
"If something is fantastic, it's different from the normal, monotonous things of your life. Love, for example. People say it's a worldly thing, but it isn't. Love is on a plane of it's own, a whole separate level of existence. People have reduced fantasy to movies and TV. Fantasy is something totally different, though. Not many people appreciate fantasy, but I do. I may seem a little arrogant here, but I'm just trying to make my point. Fantasy is something I have, and you have," he said pointing at Mr. Jehle, "and that is DIFFERENCE. We have a certain appreciation for life that other people can't see. So, good luck in showing them."  
  
WHen he was done, the entire class was staring at him, even Mr. Jehle. No one said a word, until the teacher broke the silence:   
  
"You should have no trouble in my class..." was all he could say.   
  
After class ended, so did the school day.   
  
"Mr. Gordon, can I see you for a minute?" Gordo walked over to Mr. Jehle's desk. "I need to say, Mr. Gordon, that I'm very impressed with the way you spoke."   
  
"Well, thank you, sir."   
  
"You're welcome. Oh, by the way, I'm 24, I'm not exactly 'sir' yet," he said with a smile.   
  
"I'll remember that."   
  
"See you tomorrow, then, and I'm looking forward to a solid paper from you."   
  
"You can count on it," Gordo said, walking off.   
  
"What was that about?" Lizzie asked, when Gordo came out of class.   
  
"He said he was impressed with me, and he was looking forward to a solid paper from me."   
  
"Well, you shouldn't have trouble," Miranda encouraged him.   
  
"That's what he said..." was Gordo's reply.   
  
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After school, everyone went to Lizzie's house.   
  
"Mom, are you home? Dad? Matt?" No answer. "That's weird." In the kitchen, Lizzie finds a note that says,   
  
"Lizzie, went to the outlet mall to get Matt some clothes for Reggie's party Friday night. I'll pick you up something, too. We'll be back at 7. Love, Mom.   
  
Lizzie looked at the clock. Only 3:30. "Great, we've got 3 and a half hours before my parents get home. So, what do you want to do?"   
  
"Your room sounds like a place to start," Miranda suggested.   
  
"Okay."   
  
They went up to Lizzie's room, with Gordo immediately claiming the stereo. From his bookbag, he pulled out a CD, which, when played, was revealed to be one of Billy Joel's. "Big Man on Mulberry Street" came on, and Gordo broke out into song:  
  
"But you know in my own heart  
I'm a big man on Mulberry Street.  
I play the whole part.  
I leave a big tip with every receipt.   
  
I'm so romantic.   
I'm such a passionate man.   
Sometimes I panic.   
What if nobody finds out who I am?"   
  
"Gordo, my parents listen to Billy Joel," Lizzie said.   
  
"And mine," Miranda chimed in.   
  
"And mine," Gordo said. "What's your point?"   
  
Lizzie looked at Miranda. "He wouldn't get it even if we told him."   
  
"Wait. Let me guess. It's for older people. It's adult music, right?"   
  
"I hate it when he does that," Miranda said.   
  
Gordo just smirked and "polished" his right hand. (A/N: You know, the whole breathing on your hand and then rubbing it on your shirt...Okay, enough of my notes.)   
  
"Well, it is," Lizzie said.   
  
"No, it isn't. Didn't you two hear anything I said in English?"   
  
"Of course!" Miranda exclaimed. "How could we not?"   
  
"Then how can you say that Billy Joel is old people music?"   
  
"Well...because...My parents listen to him!" Lizzie was grasping for words.   
  
"Right. Well, I'll see you later."   
  
"Gordo, where are you going? My parents won't be home for another 3 hours!"   
  
"I gotta take a walk."   
  
"Oh, we'll go with you," Miranda chimed in.   
  
"No. I need to be alone. Bye." Gordo grabbed his stuff and left, but accidentally left the CD behind.   
  
'Nobody understands me...' Gordo though as he walked. 'Not even my best friends. And I can't even tell them...'   
  
A/N: What can't Gordo say? What will happen with Lizzie's nightmare? Find out when this aspiring author posts his next chapter in what is hopefully a story read by many. Well, let me know. Review! 


	3. New Faces in Old Places

Disclaimer: If I owned Lizzie McGuire, the episodes would be shown in the right order.   
  
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks to anyone who reviewed. Now, on with the show!   
  
Chapter 3: New Faces in Old Places   
  
"What's the deal with Gordo?" Lizzie asked.   
  
"I have no idea," Miranda answered.   
  
"We should go after him," Lizzie suggested.   
  
"He said he wanted to be alone, remember?"   
  
"Yeah, but, he needs us. If I were him, even if I said I didn't want company, I would want company. The bottom line is our friend is upset, and we need to be there for him."   
  
Miranda sighed. "I hope this works out...."   
  
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Meanwhile, Gordo had a million thoughts racing through his brain. 'If they knew, would they be upset? Would they ever talk to me again? Should I even go through with it?'   
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of tapping feet behind him.   
  
"Gordo, wait up!" came a female voice. He turned around to see Lizzie and Miranda running up to catch him.   
  
"I told you I wanted to be alone."   
  
"I know," Lizzie began. "But we can't leave our best friend upset."   
  
"Who said I'm upset?"   
  
"Oh, come on, Gordo!" Miranda retorted. "You just left the house, said you needed to take a walk, and wanted to be alone. It's pretty obvious that you're upset."   
  
"Well, I'm not. Just needed some air."   
  
"Come on, Gordo, let's go to the Digital Bean. We can get one of those vanilla milk shakes that you like," Lizzie said with a 'Come on, let's go' tone.   
  
"Trying to bribe me, McGuire?" Gordo said with a half-smile.   
  
"Does it show?"   
  
"Very much. But I can't resist a vanilla milk shake," he said smiling fully now.   
  
So the three friends walked past countless suburbian houses until they reached the Digital Bean.   
  
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Once inside, they ordered their drinks and sat down. Suddenly, a 6'2" boy, about their age (15) with brown hair, and an average size body burst in the door of the hangout. He was wearing a pair of brown cargo pants with a black shirt. He spotted Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo and made his way over to them.   
  
"Hey, ladies!" The guy said. "You are looking fine today!"   
  
"Who the hell are you?" Lizzie asked.   
  
"I'm your dream guy. I would love to have both of you at once. Man, I love that kind of thing."   
  
"Ew! That's disgusting!" Miranda screamed.   
  
"Hey, it wouldn't be so bad. I have the largest..."   
  
"Just cut it right there, dirtbag!" Gordo shouted in defense. People were starting to look at them.   
  
"Who are you, little man?"   
  
"None of your business. Now just get out of here if you don't want any trouble."   
  
"It's not trouble I'm after," he said putting his hand on Lizzie's shoulder.   
  
"Get off me, you creep!" Lizzie cried.   
  
"I don't let go of girls. I take them with me."  
  
"Let go of her!" Gordo screamed. He rushed at the stranger and swung his arm to punch him. The boy caught it, however, and twisted Gordo's arm. He screamed in pain.   
  
"You're as weak as these girls are." He threw Gordo to the ground. "Now, as for you two," he said, grabbing Miranda by the arm, as well as Lizzie's. "You're coming with me."   
  
Almost out of nowhere, a hand appeared on the boy's chest, shoving him backwards. The hand belonged to another boy, about 6 feet tall. He was thin to average size, had brown hair and brown eyes, and was 15, also. He was wearing dark blue jeans that were faded in the front and a long sleeve blue shirt with white stripes on the sleeves. Everyone just stared at him, even Miranda, Lizzie, and the fallen Gordo.   
  
"Back off," he said.   
  
"This has nothing to do with you! Now go away before I beat the living hell out of you!" He reached for Lizzie and Miranda again, but was cut off by the boy.   
  
"I said, 'back off.'"   
  
"And I said to stay out of this!"   
  
"Don't make me hurt you."   
  
"Oh, I would love to see you try!" he said, throwing a punch. Now it was his turn to get blocked by the other person's hand.   
  
"What? Like this?" the boy said punching him in the stomach. The other boy winced in pain. (A/N: From here, to avoid confusion, Boy 1 is the attacker and Boy 2 is the defender.) Boy 2 threw another punch at Boy 1, hitting him square in the face and knocking him over.   
  
"Oh, that is the biggest mistake you've ever made!" Boy 1 said. He got up and tried another punch but missed. He was beginning to get angry. He thrashed his arms in a desparate attempt to hit Boy 2, but failed every time, either because he missed or his pinch was blocked.  
  
"Damn!" was all Boy 1 could say. 'Hold on,' he thought. 'If I can get him to turn his back to me...' That's when the idea came to him. He went for another punch, which Boy 2 dodged again. Only this time, he didn't see Boy 1's other fist coming. He was hit in the head and went down.   
  
"Haha!" Boy 1 said triumphantly. "You're just as weak as..."   
  
That's when he suddenly fell to the floor. Standing behind him was Gordo with a napkin holder.   
  
"As what? Me?"   
  
"Nice move, Gordo," Boy 2 said, panting. He got up and walked over to where Gordo was standing. "Thanks."   
  
"No problem."   
  
"Hey, boys!" They turned to see the attacker back on his feet. "I'm still here!"   
  
"Gordo!" Boy 2 whispered. "Throw that napkin holder at him on 3."  
  
"Come and get me, tough guys!" Boy 1 said with a challenging tone.   
  
"1..." He reached for a chair. "2..." He pulled it closer. "3!" he shouted! Gordo threw the metal like it was on fire. It hit Boy 1 square in the face. That's when Boy 2 picked up the chair and bashed Boy 1 in the face, knocking him out. When the police arrived, they went to arrest Hordo and Boy 2, but the onlookers said that the first boy attempted to drag away the girls and the other boys fought in an act of protection, so the police only took the first boy away.   
  
"So, anything I should know about you before you meet my friends?" Gordo asked the boy with a 'there's no need to even answer this question' tone.   
  
"Well, I love to learn, I'm honest and fun-loving, and I'm a big man on Mulberry Street." He said the end of his sentence with a smile.   
  
Gordo's eyes widened and he shook his hand violently. "I can tell we'll get along just fine." He smiled and led the boy to Lizzie and Miranda's table.   
  
A/N: So, what do you think? Please review. I have so many ideas! Oh, yeah. :in TV announcer voice: Who is this new boy? Are Gordo's problems resolved yet? Are Lizzie and Miranda okay? Find out in the next chapter of this story! 


	4. Big Man on Mulberry Street

Disclaimer: Now really, if I owned Lizzie McGuire, would the show be over already?   
  
A/N: If you reviewed, thank you. With a week off from school and a blizzard headed my way, expect a lot of updates from me. Like this one for instance:   
  
Chapter 4: Big Man on Mulberry Street  
  
The boy was led by Gordo to Lizzie and Miranda. He and Gordo took seats, while the girls just stared at the newcomer.   
  
"What? Do I have a pimple or something?" he asked just to break the silence.   
  
"No, it's just..." Lizzie started.   
  
"That was amazing!" Miranda finished.   
  
"What? That? The guy was trying to take you away. I can't just sit and let that happen."   
  
"Not that we don't appreciate it," Lizzie began, "but we don't even know you. Why would you help us?"   
  
"Ah, but just because you don't know me doesn't mean I don't know you. I've sat behind you three in English class since the beginning of the year. Oh, by the way, Gordo..." Gorod looked at him. "You and Mr. Jehle aren't the only ones with difference."   
  
"Yeah. I can tell, big man on Mulberry Street." Gordo smiled, and so did the boy.   
  
"Okay, back up. First things first. What's your name?" Lizzie questioned.   
  
"Andrew."   
  
"Okay, Andrew, why did you save us?"   
  
"I already told you. I can't sit by and let two innocent girls get taken away like that."   
  
"Yeah, but, that guy could have hurt you, badly."   
  
"Yes, but..." He trailed off.   
  
"But what?"   
  
"But that's a small price to pay if it means protecting someone else."   
  
"What are you? A superhero?" Gordo joked.   
  
"Yeah, with those moves you made, you could be Robin." The boys laughed. The girls just rolled their eyes and said in unison, "Boys...."  
  
"Anyway," Lizzie started to change the subject, "You said you know us?"   
  
"Well, yeah. I've always admired the closeness you three have. I really don't have that with my friends. So, yeah, I've sat behind you, seen you around school, and every time I do I'm happy for you, yet I wonder why I don't have the same thing. Truth be told, I always wished I could be a part of your group. But, I could never intrude on three best friends like that....Quite honestly, that's part of the reason I helped. Not only for your sake, but for mine, too. I figured if I helped you, you might take notice of me."   
  
"Well, why didn't you just talk to us?" Miranda asked.   
  
"Because what would I have said? 'Oh, hi. I'm someone you've never met before. Can I be your friend?'"   
  
"True..." Miranda trailed off.   
  
"Well, you don't need to look any further," Gordo said. "You've got three friends now."   
  
"Just like that?" Andrew asked with complete shock.   
  
"Yeah, just like that," Lizzie said with a smile.   
  
"No objection," Miranda said.   
  
You could see the tears welling up in Andrew's eyes. "Thanks," was all he could say in a choked whisper.   
  
"So, where do you live?" Miranda asked.   
  
"Gordo already knows."   
  
"I do?"   
  
"Yep."  
  
"Don't tell me...Mulberry Street?"  
  
"That's the one. Listen, if you guys want, we can go back to my house and hang out for a while."   
  
"Sounds cool," Gordo said.   
  
"Oh! Gordo! I almost forgot. You left this at my house," Lizzie said, taking out a CD and handing it to Gordo.   
  
"That's Billy Joel's Millenium Concert CD!" Andrew exclaimed.   
  
"Yeah. It's nice to have another fan to talk to."   
  
"Here we go..." said Lizzie.   
  
"I take it they don't like Billy Joel." Gordo nodded, and Andrew just smiled. "Okay, let's go before it gets too dark."   
  
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Once at his house, Andrew told his parents who he was with. They went up to his room, which had a TV, PlayStation2, XBox, Gamecube, a stereo, a computer, and a whole bunch of musical instruments.   
  
"You're missing a DVD player," Gordo said jokingly.   
  
"In time, my friend. In time. So, what do you guys want to do?"   
  
Before anyone could answer, Gordo had once again claimed the stereo and put in his CD. "Big Man on Mulberry Street" was blasting again. Gordo and Andrew were singing:   
  
"Why can't I lay low?  
Why can't I say what I mean?  
Why don't I stay home?  
And get myself into some boring routine.  
  
Why can't I calm down?  
Why is it always a fight?  
I can't get unwound.  
Why do I throw myself into the night?"   
  
"You know, despite what they're singing, they're pretty good," Miranda noted.  
  
"Yeah, they are..." Lizzie said half-conscious of what Miranda was saying.   
  
"Yoo-hoo! Earth to Lizzie," Miranda said, waving her hands in front of Lizzie's face.   
  
"Yeah, I'm here," Lizzie said, coming back to reality.   
  
"Gordo! Let's jam a little!" Andrew enthusiastically suggested.   
  
"Yeah! And I have the perfect song! It'll drive the girls nuts!" Gordo and Andrew laughed together at the thought. "Put on Track 3."   
  
"Yeah, and girls, "We Didn't Start the Fire", but if you go nuts, we did start that, okay?"   
Andrew went to his guitar, and Gordo to the drums. "Let's rock!" Andrew said putting on the song. They started playing and singing in sync with the music:   
  
"Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray, South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio  
  
Joe McCarthy, Richanrd Nixon, Studebaker, television, North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe..."   
  
They kept on singing until it was time to leave.   
  
"Impressive," Miranda said with a tone that indicated she wasn't lying.   
  
"Yeah. You guys are great!" Lizzie exclaimed.   
  
"Well, we'll see you tomorrow, Andrew," Gordo said.   
  
They all said their "goodbyes" and "thank yous" and went home.   
  
'She's so pretty...but, could it happen?' Andrew thought to himself after they had left.   
  
A/N: So, is my story getting better or worse? Please review and let me know! Next chapter: The Assignment! 


	5. The Assignment

Disclaimer: Just look at the first few chapters so I don't have to keep typing this.   
  
A/N: Thank you, my beloved reviewers. keeponwritin, may God grant you and your family with blessings for being a Billy Joel fan and for loving Andrew and the story. (Don't feel neglected, others. I still appreciate you :) As you can probably tell, I'm a HUGE Billy Joel fan. Oh, all thoughts appear in ' '. Now, the adventure continues...  
  
Chapter 5: The Assignment  
  
At the McGuire household, Lizzie sat in from of her computer, wondering what to type for her English paper.   
  
'Okay, think Lizzie. Think. What's real? Let's start there. That's easier. Facts are real. Food is real...no, I can't put that down. Come on, McGuire. You can do this.'  
  
So, after debating for a while, Lizzie was able to create her paper.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At her own house, Miranda was having trouble, as well.   
  
'Real things are touchable. You can smell them, hear them...no. Mr. Jehle is deeper than that. He'll see right through me if I do that...'  
  
And she made her paper, as well.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gordo had his own troubles, not so much as to what he wanted to say, but whether or not he should say it.   
  
'If I write this, there's a chance it could get out. But, people are going to know, eventually.'  
  
Gordo sighed. "Well, here goes nothing," and he began to type.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Andrew had the same problem as Gordo.   
  
'It's more of a private matter...but, maybe it would help if I got it out. Yeah, it would help.'   
  
And so he typed his paper, also.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day, everyone took their seats in English class. Mr. Jehle began to speak.   
  
"Okay, everyone put your papers on my desk or I'll hang you."   
  
The students knew he was kidding, and casually strolled up to the desk, put their papers down, and strolled back to their seats, which made the teacher laugh. Everyone except Gordo.   
  
"Mr. Gordon?" came Mr. Jehle's voice. "Are you okay?"   
  
Gordo had been sitting with his head down, debating as to whether or not he made the right choice in writing what he did.   
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Fine." Mr. Jehle gave him a skeptical look as he put the paper down and returned to his seat.   
  
"Okay, everyone. Today I'm going to spend the lesson reading your papers to the class."   
  
Gordo's eyes bulged like a cartoon characters. 'Oh, shit! If he reads what I wrote, everyone will know!"   
  
"Okay, the first paper belongs to...Mr. Craft." Ethan was just staring at the chalkboard, which contained nothing but leftover chalk powder. When the teacher saw him, he said, "Mr. Craft, what are you looking at?"   
  
"Oh, I was just trying to see if the board actually said something..."  
  
"Yeah..." Mr. Jehle said in a drawn out voice. "Anyway, Mr. Craft, your paper says:  
  
'Realty is a good kind of TV sho & the opisit of fantsy.'   
  
which I'm sure is true..." Mr. Jehle said throwing the paper over his shoulder and out the window. "Next, Miss McGuire. Your paper reads:   
  
'Reality is things that you can define. If someone asked you what something was, and you can tell them, and maybe even give an example of it, then it's real. As for fantasy, it can be defined, too. It's something that is out of reach, and can't be fully explained.'   
  
He finished reading the rest of her paper and moved on.   
  
"Very nice work, Miss McGuire. And Miss Sanchez, your paper says:  
  
'Reality is the basis of life. It is the principles and facts that we depend on to survive. Fantasy is the collection of things that we dream about.'   
  
And he read the rest of her paper and remarked how well-written it was. He continued to read through the papers until only Gordo's and Andrew's were left. He picked up the next paper and said, "And next is, Mr. Gordon..." and that's when the bell went off. But Mr. Jehle continued to read. As everyone was leaving, he leaned over to Gordo and said, "I need to see you."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outside the classroom, Lizzie, Miranda, and Andrew were headed to Lunch.   
  
"So, what do you think happened to Gordo?" Lizzie asked.   
  
"If I know Gordo or Mr. Jehle, there probably talking about his paper," Andrew replied.   
  
"Well, all I can hope is that our papers turned out okay," Miranda said.   
  
"I'm sure they're fine," Andrew said with a smile. Just then, Kate decides to walk up to them.   
  
"Oh, look. The Dork Squad has recruited a new member," she mocked.   
  
"Kate, why can't you just leave us alone?" Lizzie asked with the slightest hint of anger in her voice.   
  
"Because you're just such easy targets."   
  
"Oh, look Kate, you've got a little smudge on your face," Andrew said with a gleam of mischief in his eye.   
  
Kate squealed with disgust. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Where?!"   
  
"Right there," Andrew put his index finger to Kate's face.   
  
"Don't touch me!" Kate screamed.   
  
"Jeez, I'm just trying to help! Wait, there's another one," Andrew said as he repeated his previous action.   
  
"I said, 'Don't touch me!'" Kate yelled again. "Goodbye, losers!" Kate said as she flipped her hair and walked away.   
  
That's when the trio burst into laughter.   
  
"Oh my God, that was hysterical!" Lizzie managed between tears.   
  
"I can't believe you did that!" Miranda half-spoke, half-laughed.   
  
The reason for their laughter: Andrew had put his hand in his pocket and rubbed ink from his pen on his finger before "cleaning" Kate's face.   
  
"All in a day's work," Andrew said with a grin. They calmed down and headed to Lunch.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, in the classroom...  
  
"Tell me why," Mr. Jehle said with concern.   
  
"Why what?" Gordo responded with a question.   
  
"Why you wrote in your paper, 'It doesn't really matter what I think because I won't be around long enough for anyone to care.'"   
  
"I...I can't say..." Gordo stuttered.   
  
"Anything you say to me is in complete confidence, Mr. Gordon. I won't tell a soul."   
  
"Be...because..." Gordo's eyes started to fill with tears. He turned red, partially from anger and partially from embarassment. After a minute of silence, he finally spoke up. "Because I'm running away to New York in a week."   
  
A/N: BUM BUM BUM! What dance are my puppets going to do next? Once I update, (in emphatic spacing) YOU WILL KNOW! Review, kiddies! 


	6. New York State of Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire. I do not own New York State of Mind. Billy Joel owns that one.   
  
A/N: I bet you expect me to say something here, but I refuse! Now, read! :D  
  
Chapter 6: New York State of Mind  
  
Mr. Jehle was speechless. He finally found the words to say:  
  
"You're what?! That's crazy!" he screamed.   
  
"Please, keep it down," Gordo said calmly.  
  
"You can't just go to New York! You have a life here, school, family, friends!" he said in a lower volume than before.   
  
"I don't have any of that anymore."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I have no challenge in school. No offense intended. My parents have been fighting recently and it's driving me crazy. And friends...well..."  
  
"What?" Mr. Jehle tried to give him a push.  
  
"I've become distant from my friends. Besides...I think I'm falling for one of them."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Well...Miranda...You see, she's so pretty and all, and I've suddenly found myself getting kind of shy and tongue-tied around her. And I don't know what to do about it. So...I'm running," he said plainly.  
  
"Well, all I'm going to say is DON'T RUN!"  
  
"I'll think about it..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, back in the hall, the other three are headed to Lunch.   
  
"Oh, wait! I left my book in English class!" Andrew said. "I'll meet you at Lunch." And with that he took off down the hall.   
  
When he was outisde the door, he heard the two in the room talking and decided not to interrupt. In fact, he heard the whole conversation.   
  
'He's...moving to New York...my hometown...and...he's in love with Miranda?' he thought to himself. 'This could cause trouble...' When he heard them say goodbye, he hid behind a trash can so Gordo wouldn't know he was listening, and then retrieved his book from inside the classroom.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After school, they went to Andrew's house. He saw this as an opportunity to try and force out of Gordo what his issues were. And he had the perfect idea, too...  
  
"Hey, Andrew, do you want to come over Friday night for our Movie Night?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure. My parents won't mind but I'll ask them."  
  
"Good. I asked my parents last night and they said it was okay."  
  
"Great. Hey, Gordo, should we treat these ladies to another song?"  
  
Gordo's mind was far away. He was thinking about his running away to New York. Andrew saw his glazed look and knew what he was thinking about.   
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," Gordo said, half-aware of what he was answering to.   
  
"No music by us this time. I'm just going to play the song and we'll sing, okay?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Andrew put on the famous Millenium Concert CD, Disc 1, Track 7, "New York State of Mind." He started singing, without Gordo, because he had realized what Andrew was doing.  
  
"Some folks like to get away,  
take a holiday from their neighborhood.  
Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood.  
But, me, I'm taking a Greyhound  
on the Hudson River line.  
I'm in a New York State of Mind."  
  
"Hey, Andrew, can I see you outside for a minute," Gordo said with a menacing look.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Girls, put on your own music, because now may be the only time you get," Andrew said with a smile, and he disappeared from the room with Gordo.   
  
Lizzie and Miranda were left wondering what they were talking about that they couldn't say in front of them.   
  
"Maybe it's just a guy thing. I'm sure if we had girl issues we wouldn't say it in front of them," Miranda said.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lizzie half-heartedly agreed. She was still wondering what was happening, and what the feeling in the pit of her stomach was telling her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay, Andrew, what do you know?" Gordo asked accusingly.  
  
"I know you're about to make the biggest mistake of your life," Andrew replied matter-of-factly.   
  
Gordo sighed to get his words in order. "Look, I just need to get away from here. I need to figure out who I am and why the hell I'm even here."  
  
Andrew had an idea at that moment. If done correctly, Gordo would come to his senses.  
  
"I'll go with you."  
  
"What? No, you're not coming with me."  
  
"You can't stop me. I'll just buy a ticket, get on the plane with you, and stay with you in New York."  
  
Gordo, though he'd only known Andrew for a short while, knew it was futile to argue with him.   
  
"Fine."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day, the quartet was leaving the Digital Bean at 6:00. They were walking through the park.   
  
"So movies do you guys want to see tomorrow?" Miranda asked.   
  
"Doesn't matter to me," Andrew said.   
  
Out of the darkness appeared a male figure in a mask and black clothes.   
  
"Just give me all of your money and you won't get hurt," he said in a deep, muffled voice.  
  
"Hey, relax, man. We don't want any trouble," Andrew said with a surprisingly stern tone in his voice.  
  
"Just give me your money," the mugger said with a rage-filled voice.  
  
Andrew stepped toward him, and the mugger backed up. This continued for a little while until the mugger was near a tree.  
  
"Back off. I don't want to hurt you. Just leave us alone." He took another step and the mugger backed up again. His mask caught on a branch of the tree and he was revealed to be the same teenager who had harassed the girls in the Digital Bean a few days before.  
  
"You!" Andrew screamed and lunged at the boy. In an instant, a loud bang was heard, the teenager was gone, and Andrew lay on the ground, unconscious.   
  
A/N: If this chapter is short and/or bad, I'm sorry. I have a headache so it may not be the best. Well, please review and let me know! 


	7. I Hate Hospital Food

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no one, no place, no time, no NOTHING!  
  
A/N: I know as much about medicine as the gopher in Caddyshack (which I don't own). So, if I mess up on medical stuff, please don't hold it against me. :makes gopher noise:  
  
Chapter 7- I Hate Hospital Food...  
  
After Miranda had called an ambulance and Andrew was taken to the Emergency Room, his parents and the families of the trio sat anxiously in the waiting room.  
  
"Don't worry. He's going to be fine," Gordo said to the girls reassuringly. "That kid is tough. He'll fight through it."  
  
"I know..." Lizzie whispered. Here she was with a new friend that was kind, sweet, and an all-around good guy, and he could die at any moment. She had a million thoughts running through her mind. What would happen if he dies? How would they cope? What are the chances of him making it?  
  
"Lizzie?" Miranda asked, snapping her out of her trance.   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"The doctor's coming," Miranda said, pointing to the man in the white coat coming down the hallway. He arrived with no certian expression on his face to give the family and friends a guess as to whether Andrew would live or not. He arrived in the waiting room, and all the families and friends tensed, hanging on the doctor's every word. He cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm not going to lie to you all," the doctor said matter-of-factly. "There is a chance he may not make it." He paused to let that piece of news sink in. "The bullet pierced the skin three inches below his heart. We've removed the bullet and closed the wound, but he is still unconscious. With the proper medicine and rest, he should survive." He finished and waited for a response.  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" his mother asked.  
  
"Yes. Stay with him as often as possible. He'll need family or friends to be there when he wakes up, and he will also need you to be there for strength." The fact that he had said "when he wakes up" brought a certain degree of comfort to the family and friends.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor," Andrew's father said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Okay, Gordon. Now's your chance. You almost lost your friend today. That's proof enough that you can't keep putting this off. Now, have some courage and tell her!"  
  
"Miranda, can I talk to you outside for a second?"  
  
"Sure," the lovely girl replied. And she was just that. Lovely. It was all Gordo could think about as they stepped outside Andrew's room.  
  
"What's up?" Miranda asked, slightly concerned.  
  
"Well, there's something I've been needing to get off my chest for a little while."  
  
"What is it?" Miradna asked, concerned now. She gently touched his forearm, and Gordo's courage started to falter a little.   
  
"Well, lately...I've kind of...um..."  
  
"Gordo, listen," Miranda said putting both her hands on his shoulders, causing his courage to deplete even more. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." She added a smile to the end of her statement.  
  
"Um...recently..." 'Do it!' "I've..." 'Come on!' "I've been falling for you..." he said in a whisper that even he could barely hear. Miranda, however, had heard it all too clearly. She dropped her hands from his shoulders and stood there silently for a few moments. She broke the silence once she had gathered her words.  
  
"Gordo...that's...unexpected..." Gordo's face dropped when he heard this. "I'm sorry...but I can't..." Miranda could see the pain in Gordo's eyes. She took his hand and repeated in a whisper, "I'm sorry."  
  
Gordo stared into Miranda's eyes and could tell that there was no convincing her. He knew that all he could do from this point on was agitate her if he pursued her. He looked her in the eyes and whispered comfortingly, with a small smile, "Don't be." The two engaged in a friendly embrace and released each other.  
  
"Guys! Come here quick!" a voice came in a whisper-scream. The two turned to see Lizzie standing in the doorway, rather excited.   
  
"What is it?" Miranda asked.   
  
"He moved!"  
  
Gordo and Miranda ran inside, where Lizzie had already sat down next to Andrew, holding his hand. She felt a rush of shock through her when she felt his hand take control of the squeeze. By this time, everyone had gathered around the bed, watching carefully.   
  
"Come on man, wake up..." Gordo said anxiously.   
  
After a while, everyone backed away from the bed and sat down, still waiting. That's when they heard the motion and the words:  
  
"What...where am I?" They all turned to see Andrew stirring in bed. They rushed over to the weak boy. "THAT GUY!" he screamed. He quickly sat up in the bed and screamed in such a volume that even people down the hall heard him.   
  
"Andrew, relax," Gordo said, gently putting Andrew back down. "You were shot. You're in the hospital. We're all here."  
  
Andrew panned the area around him with his eyes, seeing that Lizzie, Miranda, Gordo, Matt, and the parents of each child were there. "What?...shot?...hospital?...Hey, who are you?" he asked, looking at Matt. He was standing behind everyone else with a look of fear on his face.  
  
"I...I'm Matt," he studdered.  
  
"Oh, you're Lizzie's little brother? Well, come here."  
  
"I'd rather not," he said, still scared.   
  
"Come on, I won't hurt you."  
  
"Matt, it's okay." Lizzie said with a reassuring tone.  
  
Matt made his way over to Andrew, who stuck out his hand. Matt hesitantly reached out and shook it. Andrew chuckled, then smiled. "I like him." His smile slowly faded. "Now does somebody want to tell me how I got here?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Good night, everyone," Andrew's mother said as the parents and Matt left, while the trio remained inside to say there goodbyes for the night.  
  
"Andrew, can I ask you something?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"You just did," Andrew said smiling, getting a chuckle from Lizzie.  
  
"My question is: What is wrong with you?"  
  
"Um, Lizzie, he's been shot and he's in a hospital bed. I don't think this is the time to ask a question like that," Miranda interjected.  
  
"No, wait. I want to see where she's going with this," Andrew responded before Lizzie could.  
  
"What I mean is, you stopped that guy for attempted rape of Miranda and I, and then you try and stop him from mugging us. Didn't you realize he would smarten up the second time and carry a weapon? Why do you have to play the hero?" Lizzie emphasized the last part of her interrogation.  
  
"I have my reasons," Andrew replied, turning to Miranda and smiling. She caught his smile and returned it, a little unsure of what was going on.  
  
"That's not good enough! You almost got yourself killed!" Lizzie raised the level of her voice.  
  
"Listen, if I wasn't there, wouldn't you have done the same thing? Miranda? Gordo?" he said looking at each of them, and they all weakly nodded. "See? I guess I just have faster reflexes than you three old folks!" This prompted Miranda to give him a play-slap, gentle as possible, on his arm. "Alright, now get on your scooters and roll back to the home," he said grinning.   
  
"Yeah, goodnight to you, too," Lizzie said giggling.  
  
"Goodnight. Get well, you hear? There's an empty seat with your name on it at the home," Miranda joked.  
  
"Returning my own joke at me..." Andrew said with an approving tone and smile. Miranda and Lizzie left the room, but Gorod stayed behind.  
  
"You coming, Gordo?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be right there," he responded.  
  
"What's up, Gordo?" Andrew asked.  
  
'He's easy to talk to. Just let it out.'  
  
"Well, I talked to Miranda, because well, I liked her. But you probably knew that from overhearing my conversation with Mr. Jehle." Andrew nodded. "Well, she rejected me." Andrew gave a smile, which Gordo caught. He started to laugh, much to Gordo's surprise. "That's funny?!"   
  
"No. No. It's just that...nothing...It's not funny," Andrew said regaining a straight face.   
  
"Well, now I don't know what to do."  
  
"I'll tell you what to do. You stay here until I get better and then we go to New York. I mean, I have to visit my hometown."  
  
Gordo sighed. "Of course I'll wait. Now, rest up. We need you healthy."   
  
Andrew smiled. "You got it." Gordo left, and Andrew took a bite of the food in front of him. He made a disgusted face. "I hate hospital food..."  
  
A/N: Review PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Next time, Miranda tells Lizzie what happened with Gordo, and Andrew meets his roommate. 


	8. Realizing What You Already Knew

A/N: Haha! It's been a full month since I've updated. And I bet the three of you that are reading this story thought I abandoned it...hehehe...you were wrong! As you can see, I have changed the title and summary. I figured it would appeal to more people. Anyway, back to the story!  
  
Chapter 8: Realizing What You Already Knew  
  
"Miranda, for the last time: Mr. Jehle does not work for the CIA!" Lizzie emphasized to her friend in the backseat.  
  
"I'm telling you! There is no way a teacher could be that nice to us!" Miranda debated.  
  
"What do you think, Gordo?" they both asked their friend at the same time, always looking to their strong friend for advice.  
  
"I think you two need to be in that hospital next to Andrew based on the way you're talking!" Gordo joked.  
  
"Gordo!" they screamed.  
  
"Okay, kids, calm down. We're here," Jo said as they pulled up to the big metal building.  
  
"I wonder how Andrew is doing," Miranda thought aloud once they were inside the walls of the hospital.  
  
Once they reached the room, they saw Andrew and another boy next to him playing a game on an XBOX console. With puzzled looks, the trio walked to over to Andrew and looked up at the screen, which showed Halo being played by the two infirm teenagers.  
  
"Um...Andrew..." Gordo started.  
  
"One second my man," Andrew replied, not taking his eyes off the screen. Boo ya! Covenant tank destroyed! Okay, I'm done for now," he said triumphantly, placing the control on his bed.  
  
"You are the king!" the boy next to him praised.   
  
"Before you ask, this is Jim. Jim, this is Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo," Andrew said, motioning to each one of them. They all greeted each other.  
  
"Jim has a broken leg. They roomed him with me, so I asked my parents to hire a U-Haul and bring the XBOX here," he said, pointing at the rather large console on the table.   
  
"So, Jim, how much is he bothering you?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"It's unbearable!" Jim said, exaggerated. Everyone laughed.  
  
"I'm going to go grab a drink," Miranda said.  
  
"Oh. I'll come with you. My mouth's getting kind of dry, anyway," Lizzie offered, making a motion with her mouth to indicate its condition. "We'll be right back." They exited the room.  
  
"Okay. Now that they're gone, I can talk like a guy. I have to use the can," Andrew said getting up to walk to the bathroom.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Andrew seems to be doing a lot better," Lizzie noted.  
  
"Yeah, he's got color and he seems able to walk around," Miranda replied as they reached the vending machine. Lizzie went to get a drink. "H-hey, Lizzie, can I talk to you about something?"  
  
"Of course, Miranda," Lizzie responded as she bent down to retreive her Vanilla Coke.  
  
"Well, you see, do you remember the first night Andrew was in the hospital, when Gordo pulled me outside?"  
  
Lizzie thought back. "Um...yeah, yeah, I do."  
  
"Did he tell you what we talked about?" Lizzie shook her head. "Well, he...he told me that he liked me."  
  
Lizzie just stared at her. "Go on," was all she could manage.  
  
"Well, I rejected him," Miranda said, looking down, almost ashamed, almost as if she had let Lizzie down.  
  
"Why would you do that, Miranda?" Lizzie asked, shocked. "Gordo is so sweet, and nice, and funny, and..."  
  
"Sounds like I did you a favor!" Miranda interrupted, with her famous you-have-a-crush-on-Gordo look.   
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Come on, Lizzie! You get this dreamy look every time you talk about him, you ramble on about him like you did just now. You're major crushing," Miranda finished with triumph. By now, Miranda had obtained her drink. "I'll meet you back at the room." And she was off down the hall, leaving a confused Lizzie in her wake.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm baaaaaaaaaack!" Miranda sang as she entered the room.   
  
"Eh, I've had enough of you," Andrew joked, earning him a soft punch on the arm from Miranda.  
  
"Kids, it's time to go," Sam McGuire said from the doorway. "Where's Lizzie?"  
  
"Down the hall getting a soda," Miranda informed him.  
  
"Ah. Well, I'll go get her. Meet us by the car. Bye, Andrew."  
  
"Bye, Mr. McGuire. Thanks for coming."  
  
Sam nodded, and was down the hall to find his daughter.  
  
"Well, I'll be at the car. See you, Andrew," Gordo said, sticking out his hand for a slap, which Andrew gave him.  
  
"Goodbye, Gordo, 'till we meet again!" Andrew said overdramatically. Gordo shook his head, chuckled, and left the room.  
  
"Hey, Andrew, have you ever noticed that Gordo seems to act...differently...around Lizzie?" Miranda said, always straight to the point.  
  
"What do you mean?" Andrew asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Well, he seems to become de-robosized." Andrew just stared at her, his eyebrow still arched. "I mean, he doesn't seem to be himself."  
  
"I know what you mean. Do you think he likes her?"  
  
"Maybe. And you know what that means!"  
  
"No, I don't," Andrew said matter-of-factly.  
  
"That means it could be matchmaking time for us!" Miranda announced, beaming.  
  
"I guess..." Andrew answered half-heartedly, but still thinking. "Okay, I'm in! I mean, I have to do something while I'm lying here!" he said to a smiling Miranda? "Partners?" he asked, sticking out his hand.  
  
"Partners," Miranda replied without hesitation, shaking his hand. "Well, they're waiting for me. See you soon."  
  
"Bye," Andrew responded, and watched her leave.  
  
"That's some girl you've got there," Jim said, turning to face Andrew.   
  
"What? She's not my girl!" Andrew replied.  
  
"Well, if I were you, I would act fast before someone takes her away from you," Jim said, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels on TV.  
  
Andrew just lay in bed, with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, thinking.  
  
A/N: This chapter probably doesn't make up for the month of no updates, but I did the best I could. Review and tell me what you think! 


	9. Love and Basketball

Disclaimer: After seven chapters, must I keep saying that I don't own Lizzie McGuire and any songs that I put in here unless I say otherwise?  
  
A/N: The reason I haven't been updating? Severe writer's block. And plotting what I will do for this story. AND I HAVE THE POWER! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :sees people staring at him: Okay...anyway, I will be incorporating songs into this without really making it a songfic, so wish me luck. Now, on with the show! And I don't know how much time it would take Andrew to heal, so I guessed.   
  
Chapter 9-Love and Basketball  
  
Two months later, Andrew was out of the hospital and pretty much back to normal. He was hanging out with Gordo one day, because the girls had gone shopping, and quite frankly the two boys would have rather had dental surgery than go shopping. So, they were at Gordo's, and were talking about random guy things...  
  
"That's why Sonic is such a cool character!" Andrew exclaimed.  
  
"Look, can we talk about something?" Gordo asked with worry and sincerity in his voice. Andrew saw his face and heard his tone and his expression changed from a smile to a look of concern.  
  
"Sure, what's up?"  
  
"Well, remember that whole fiasco I had with Miranda two months ago?"  
  
"How could I forget?" Andrew sang. Gordo just gave him a look. "Pearl Jam, 'Jeremy'...just go on."  
  
"Well, I may have realized something. I...don't actually think...Miranda was the...one I was after..."  
  
Andrew raised his eyebrows. "I knew it!" he screamed.  
  
"How?!"  
  
"It's obvious. Before I became friends with you guys, I notcied you staring at Lizzie, smelling her hair, acting all goofy around her. So, when you said you liked Miranda that day when you were talking to Mr. Jehle, I realized that you were just subconsciously using Miranda as a distraction to get over your feelings for Lizzie."  
  
Gordo just looked at him. "That's...insightful."  
  
"I'm good," Andrew said coolly, smoothing his short brown hair. "So, what are you going to do about it?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because then I will ruin the longest friendship I've ever had. I know she doesn't feel the same way."   
  
"How?"  
  
"Because I'm Gordo and she's Lizzie. And that's all it will ever be."  
  
"I happen to disagree, but I'm not going to force you into doing anything you don't want to do. I'm here if you need a pair of good ears, though."  
  
"Thanks. Oh, by the way, the school district is having a basketball tournament. Are you going to join?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess. How about you?"  
  
"Yeah. This growth spurt did me good. There's gonna be over 200 participants. We'd better be in top shape if either one of us is going to win." He gave Andrew a dumbbell. "Starting now."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, Lizzie and Miranda were at the mall, shopping in just about every store, searching for the right clothes and accessories. They, too, were just randomly chatting.  
  
"And then Ethan did this flexing thing and he looked SO TOTALLY HOT!" Lizzie exclaimed.  
  
"Um, Lizzie? Can I ask you something?"   
  
"Of course. You can ask me anything, Miranda."  
  
"Well, does it ever bother you that we don't have boyfriends?"  
  
"Of course it bothers me. We're 15. We're at that stage in our lives where we are supposed to be dating, meeting guys, kissing said guys later. But, we're not doing any of that."  
  
"Why does no one seem interested in us? I mean, the only guys that talk to us are Gordo and Andrew. No other guy even comes near us. Is there something wrong with us?"  
  
"I don't think so. I mean, we're pretty...aren't we?"  
  
"I'm not so sure, anymore. Although, we do have two great guys right in front of us. You think...?"  
  
"What?! No way!" A pensive expression appeared on Lizzie's face. "Although...I do think that Andrew may be into you."  
  
Miranda's face brightened. "Really? What makes you say that?"   
  
"Remember that night at the hospital?"   
  
-Flashback-  
  
"Andrew, can I ask you something?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"You just did," Andrew said smiling, getting a chuckle from Lizzie.  
  
"My question is: What is wrong with you?"  
  
"Um, Lizzie, he's been shot and he's in a hospital bed. I don't think this is the time to ask a question like that," Miranda interjected.  
  
"No, wait. I want to see where she's going with this," Andrew responded before Lizzie could.  
  
"What I mean is, you stopped that guy for attempted rape of Miranda and I, and then you try and stop him from mugging us. Didn't you realize he would smarten up the second time and carry a weapon? Why do you have to play the hero?" Lizzie emphasized the last part of her interrogation.  
  
"I have my reasons," Andrew replied, turning to Miranda and smiling. She caught his smile and returned it, a little unsure of what was going on.  
  
-End Flashback-  
  
"See, you stuck up for him when you thought I was insulting him, AND he smiled at you. There are signals, Miranda."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Well, let's go home. I don't even want to shop anymore."  
  
"Me neither. I think the guys are at Gordo's. Let's stop by."  
  
As they walked away, Miranda thought about what Lizzie had said.  
  
'Maybe he does like me. He is kind of cute, and he's definitely a sweet guy. Who knows? Maybe it will happen. But, I think I have a way to find out...'  
  
And Lizzie just wondered why she didn't have anyone interested in her.  
  
A/N: If you don't review, I can't know what you think. I don't have psychic powers! Until next time... 


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